user search icon     shopping cart icon 0   email icon       email icon

broccoli is a cruciferous-vegetable

Why Should I Eat Cruciferous Vegetables?

  blog post author icon   blog post published date icon   11/29/21

Cooking  Disease  Nutrition  

If you are interested in eating healthier, one easy way to do this is by adding cruciferous vegetables to your daily meal plan. Cruciferous vegetables' benefits are many, and this article will outline a few of them to get you motivated and inspired to include this humble vegetable category in your diet.

  • Blog Post

    In a survey conducted in early 2021, 65% of Americans are open to making a change to their eating schedule, while 38% would consider moving to a vegan or vegetarian diet to lose weight! This has to do a lot with the fact that Americans are becoming more and more desperate to lose weight, become fit, and gain a healthier lifestyle. The pandemic has magnified this even more.

    What Are Cruciferous Vegetables?

    Let's first clarify what exactly are cruciferous vegetables. A bit of background history - cruciferous vegetables were named so because their blossoms resemble a cross or crucifix

    Any edible members of the cabbage family are labeled cruciferous. Many common vegetables belong to the cabbage family, i.e., the family Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae). 

    Cruciferous Vegetables' List

    The following vegetables fall into this cruciferous vegetable category, like:

    • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Cabbage
    • Arugula
    • Kale
    • Bokchoy
    • Radish
    • Turnips
    • Brussel Sprouts
    • Collard Greens
    • Horseradish
    • Watercress
    • Wasabi
    • Rutabaga

    Haven't heard of some of these vegetables? Well, what are you waiting for? Once you read all the benefits of consuming cruciferous vegetables below, you will be hankering to get some of these delicious and healthy vegetables into your daily meal rotation.

    Cruciferous Vegetables' Benefits

    There are many benefits to adding cruciferous vegetables to your diet, and so let's get started.

    Fiber Rich and Low in Calories

    One reason why nutritionists, dieticians, and doctors the world over are always recommending you add more cruciferous vegetables into your diet is that they are HIGH in fiber and low in calories. This means they are filling! Now, why would that matter to someone who's dieting or trying to lose weight?

    Well, one key point when it comes to losing weight is reducing your food intake (affecting energy balance) so that your energy input (that is, the calories you take in) is lower than your energy output (that is, your activity level and basal metabolic rate). One way people do this is by exercising. They add a lot of additional activity into their day by taking the stairs, walking, dancing, weight lifting, and more.

    But there's another way to do this as well. By adding lots of fiber-rich cruciferous vegetables into your diet, you can feel fuller longer, and eat less. When you eat lots of crunchy broccoli or kale, you notice that you get full much quicker than when you consume a plate of pasta or rice.

    This is great because not only are you eating fewer calories overall, but because these vegetables are low in fat and calories, you end up consuming fewer total calories as well. It's the double whammy effect.

    Rich in Nutrients Like Vitamins and Minerals and More

    Way too many folks are walking around in a state of malnutrition. It's not that they aren't getting enough food into their system, it's that due to overfarming, industrialization, pollution, and other factors, the food we are consuming doesn't have enough nutrients in it. It's not the same as the food our ancestors used to eat.

    This means that you need to consume even more nutritious cruciferous vegetables to tip the balance in your favor. The great thing about these vegetables is that they are packed with so much goodness. 

    • rich in folate necessary for red blood cell formation and healthy cell growth and function
    • rich in vitamins C needed to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen in bones and for the healing process
    • rich in vitamin E necessary for vision, reproduction, and the health of your blood, brain, and skin
    • rich in vitamin K needed for blood clotting and healthy bones
    • rich in minerals needed to keep bones, muscles, heart, and brain working properly and for making enzymes and hormones
    • rich in fiber for proper digestion and weight loss (as mentioned in the section above)
    • rich in carotenoids, like beta-carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, necessary to protect you from disease and enhance your immune system, and eye health

    As you can see there are many benefits to eating more cruciferous vegetables not only for adults trying to lose weight but for everyone in the family. If your children are wary of eating broccoli or cabbage, take time to prepare recipes that are delicious so you can improve your children's health without them being aware of their vegetable-eating habits.

    Anti-Cancer Effects

    One reason why scientists and researchers are constantly recommending cruciferous vegetables as the panacea of modern diets is that these vegetables have been found to inhibit the development and growth of cancer in several organs of rats and mice, including the bladder, breast, colon, liver, lung, and stomach.

    This is because they are rich in glucosinolates, which break down during cooking into biologically active compounds such as indoles, nitriles, thiocyanates, and isothiocyanate. These chemical compounds have been most frequently examined for their anti-cancer effects. 

    Considering that cancer is one of those illnesses that has become pervasive in the American population, anything that you could use to counteract the development of such a dangerous disease would be extremely helpful. Especially if it's as simple as adding a few cooked cruciferous vegetables to your diet.

    These are some ways these compounds help protect animal cells from cancer:

    • have anti-inflammatory effects
    • help protect cells from DNA damage
    • have antiviral and antibacterial effects
    • induce cell death (apoptosis)
    • help inactivate carcinogens.
    • inhibit tumor blood vessel formation and tumor cell migration.
    • and more

    There have been lots of studies done on rats and mice regarding the positive effects of cruciferous vegetables, BUT, the studies on humans aren't as definitive. More research is needed.

    Until that point though, it's a great idea to add more cruciferous vegetables to your diet and become an advocate for your cell health from the inside out. The movement to use 'food as medicine' is prevalent in American society right now and one major weapon humans have against disease is green leafy and cruciferous vegetables.

    Try Cruciferous Vegetables' Supplements

    You can never go wrong when you add more vegetables to your diet. But what if you are overwhelmed by all the different healthy things you need to consume in a day for all that your body needs.

    Also, as mentioned previously, nowadays, vegetables, fruits, and meats aren't as concentrated with nutritious components as they were in the past. There are many reasons for it, but the main concern you might have as a healthy eater is how many of these cruciferous vegetables you would have to consume to get the positive benefits mentioned above.

    Can you eat 2.5 cups of vegetables every single day as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? Sometimes life takes over and you aren't able to fulfill this requirement as needed. What then?

    That's where cruciferous vegetables' supplements come into play. With these, you don't have to worry about missing out on the proper amounts of vegetable intake every day. You can have cheat days where you spend your entire day eating chips, salsa, and cheese because you are celebrating a birthday, a promotion, or just resting and relaxing.

    Any healthy eating plan for weight loss needs a balanced regimen of supplements as well. Nowadays, you can't do without it. 

    This doesn't mean that you can completely eschew eating cruciferous vegetables and other healthy items, of course. But it does mean that you have less pressure on you about eating healthy every day, especially since you are running from work to daycare, to home, to other activities and chores. 

    When would you even have time to fit in some of these chores, like meal planning, cooking, grocery shopping, and eating? Sometimes it's enough that you pop a supplement and take care of your bodies' needs that way. You are not a superwoman and with these supplements in hand, you don't need to be. 

    Are You Ready to Up the Ante on Your Diet and Health?

    Cruciferous vegetables' benefits as outlined above indicate that they are a necessary and almost unmissable part of the diet of anyone who's looking to become healthier, live longer, and lose weight. If you haven't already added cruciferous vegetables to your diet, it's time for you to change the status quo.

    If you are the main cook of the family, you have a lot of power over the future health and habits of your family, especially your children. Cruciferous vegetables are easy to cook, and with a little bit of creativity and innovation, you can make even the most fastidious child love their broccoli. 

    Searching for a little extra help with your weight loss goals? Check out the FirstFitness Nutritional supplements catalog and use the latest innovations in science and research to achieve your wellness goals.

  • Related Content


headshot of Jay Todtenbier 2018
Author

Jay Todtenbier is an original founder of SupplementRelief.com in 2010 and has operated the business ever since. He is also a tennis instructor and gospel musician. Formerly he spent 25 years in business development, technology and marketing with startups and major corporations having gone through the tech boom in Silicon Valley in the 90s. He became passionate about, and began studying and practicing Wellness as a Lifestyle after experiencing chronic, personal health challenges including depression, auto-immune disorders, and being overweight that impacted his ability to live a healthy, vibrant life. Since then, he has been an advocate for healthier living encouraging others to live better through making small, gradual changes to lifestyle behaviors relating to whole-foods nutrition, stress management, reasonable exercise, proper sleep, and the use of targeted, high-quality supplements.

Learn more about Jay Todtenbier.

  • product discussion forum icon Discussion Forum
    Questions or Feedback?

    Ask questions. Share your thoughts.  Note that we cannot answer questions relating to specific medical conditions - please refer those to your qualified healthcare provider.

    Post a new Comment or Reply to an existing one. Help for using the Discussion Forum.

    Post Comment

    help icon Discussion Forum Help

    Comments are displayed in order of the last one posted so the most recent one is at the top and the oldest one at the bottom.

    Replies within a Comment are displayed in reverse order with the oldest one at the top and the most recent one at the bottom.

    Each post identifies comment posted by icon who made the post and the comment timestamp icon date and time the post was made.

    Mouse over the icons for tooltips that explain what they mean.

    audio file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach an Audio file to your post.


    document file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach a Document file to your post.


    image file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach an Image file to your post.


    video file icon 

    If you see this icon you can attach a Video file to your post.

    You will see the ban post icon Ban icon (Report Post as SPAM) immediately following the Timestamp of the post. Click this icon if you feel strongly that the content posted is not appropriate and should be reviewed by the Forum Moderator. You will be provided with a confirmation dialog to be sure you wish to submit this post for review. If submitted, the Forum Moderator will be notified to review the post and will determine what type of action to take.

    Click exit icon in the upper right corner of this Help modal or anywhere on the web page outside of the modal to exit Help.

warning icon Session Expired from Inactivity


Do you want to?

You may also close your browser window/tab now to exit the website.

You are idle for seconds.

First Fitness Nutrition logo


FirstFitness Nutrition
Reseller Order Policy Change
Effective December 1, 2023

SupplementRelief.com has been an Authorized Reseller (Team Member) of FirstFitness Nutrition (FFN) since April of 2020, selling FFN products directly from our website to our customers, handling the payment processing, order fulfillment, and customer service.

Effective December 1, 2023 FirstFitness Nutrition REQUIRES ALL Authorized Resellers, who have formerly sold FFN products DIRECTLY from their OWN website, to refer the PRODUCT PURCHASE to the Reseller's FFN Team Member website.

You may continue placing orders on SupplementRelief.com through December 31, 2023 for the remaining products we have in stock.

SupplementRelief.com's FFN Team Member website is:

supplementrelief.firstfitness.com

On the top right of every page you will see our Team Member name to confirm you are on the correct FFN Team Member website:

Your FFN Team Member: SUPPLEMENTRELIEF.COM

Please BOOKMARK this new website supplementrelief.firstfitness.com for future shopping. You may begin using the Team Member website immediately.

You may also place your order directly over the phone by calling either SupplementRelief.com at 888.424.0032 or FirstFitness Nutrition's Customer Support line at 800.621.4348. Please let them know that your FFN Team Member is SUPPLEMENTRELIEF.COM.

You may continue to use this website (supplementrelief.com) for FFN product descriptions and other Wellness content from our Blog, Education, or Recipes, but on December 1, 2023:

  • The "Add to Cart" button will change to a "Purchase on FFN Team Member Website" button, and your browser will automatically open a new page on our FFN Team Member Website to purchase the product. You can stay on the new site and shop for ALL other FirstFitness Nutrition products without returning to this website.
  • If you formerly had a LOGIN ACCOUNT on SupplementRelief.com, it WILL NOT WORK on the FFN Team Member website. You will be given an option to create a new account on the FFN Team Member Website. You WILL NOT NEED your SupplementRelief.com account on this website anymore, unless you want to see your Order History for orders you placed on SupplementRelief.com in the past.

How Does This Affect Future FFN Purchases?


This means that as of December 1, 2023:

  1. You may purchase FFN products only from an FFN Team Member website.
  2. ALL ORDERS will now be PROCESSED and SHIPPED directly by FirstFitness Nutrition. The company name on your credit card statement will no longer say SUPPLEMENTRELIEF but will now say FIRST FITNESS.
  3. You may optionally create a new account on our FFN Team Member website, or you can shop as a Guest— both options work fine. Setting up a new account on the FFN website is recommended to make placing future orders easier, as FirstFitness will already have your information to process your order once you log on to our Team Member website.

FirstFitness Nutrition's Order Policy


  1. Delivery using UPS in 3 - 5 Business Days
  2. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  3. Shipping Charge is a minimum of $10 or 8.5% of the retail price of products purchased.
  4. Sales Tax is automatically calculated and is based upon the Shipping Address.
  5. You will receive an Order Receipt confirmation email directly from FirstFitness Nutrition (no longer directly from SupplementRelief.com) as soon as you complete placing your order on our Team Member website.
  6. You will receive an Order Shipment confirmation email directly from UPS (no longer directly from SupplementRelief.com) with the tracking number as soon as your order ships.

Every FirstFitness Nutrition order, from every FFN Team Member website, is subject to the exact same Order Policy. This means that shipping charges and sales taxes will be calculated the same way for every FFN product purchased from every FFN Team Member Website.


FirstFitness VIP Customer Rewards Program


FirstFitness Nutrition offers a Customer Loyalty VIP Rewards Program for savings whereby you can earn future discounts on product purchased.

This is a monthly autoship program (called a Smart Ship) where you choose the product(s) you want shipped to you each month. You can easily create and then log into your Customer VIP Rewards account anytime and change the products on your monthly auto-ship or pause/cancel it.

  • Receive 20% in VIP Reward Points redeemable for Free Products (4 points for every dollar spent - 400 points = $100) after three consecutive Smart Ships
  • Free shipping on a monthly Smart Ship order of $100 or more
  • Incentives to receive additional Reward Points

Learn more about the VIP Customer Rewards Program.


Transition Customer Support


SupplementRelief.com wants the transition to the FFN Team Member website for future orders to be a smooth process.

Faith Hoffman, our Customer Support Specialist, is happy to assist you. We appreciate your business and are prepared to answer questions and provide additional details on any or all of the above information, policies, products, costs, discount opportunities and programs, etc.

Please get in touch with Faith at your convenience:

headshot of Faith Hoffman

Faith Hoffman has spent 23 years in business practices, research, and customer relations for brand products and national companies. Lengthy hospital stays for auto-immune disorders, including the onset of heart and liver disease, led her to research the benefits of quality all-natural supplements and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

She became a customer of SupplementRelief.com three years ago. Positive results from healthy lifestyle changes and using quality, targeted supplements compelled her to share and recommend SupplementRelief.com products to family, friends, and clients. Studying through her journey and having a passion for helping others, she joined SupplementRelief.com as a customer support specialist in 2023.

When Faith is not assisting SupplementRelief.com customers, she enjoys singing gospel music, volunteering, and spending time with her family and pets.

Faith can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone or text at (225) 316-5716.

Session Arrays & Values

Are you sure you want to remove this item?

Order Policy

Please email if you have questions or need assistance.

Payment Processing

We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards.

Payments are securely processed through industry leader Authorize.net of which SupplementRelief.com is a Verified Merchant.

We DO NOT retain or store your credit card information after the purchase. We DO NOT share your information with anyone. We DO NOT auto-subscribe you to anything. Your information is YOURS.

The charge will appear on your credit card statement as SupplementRelief.com with our phone number (888) 424-0032.

Shipping & Handling

A safe and accurate address for delivery must be provided at the time the order is placed. Once an order has shipped, SupplementRelief.com is NOT responsible for lost or stolen packages CONFIRMED BY THE CARRIER to be delivered to the address provided for the order.

Since COVID-19, and the ensuing economic challenges in the USA economy, we respectfully ask that you allow some additional time for delivery for the carriers (USPS, UPS, and FedEx). Most orders still arrive on time, or near on time, but some may run late. We make every effort to get your order packed and into the carriers hands the same day, or by the next business morning if your order came in later in the previous day after carrier pickup, but we have no control over any delays that may happen within the shipping carrier's delivery system. Please order earlier for the time being if you are time-sensitive.

Orders that contain only FirstFitness Nutrition products have a shipping fee automatically calculated based upon the actual shipping weight of the items purchased. The charge ranges from $4.95 to $14.95.

For orders with NuMedica products you may choose from the shipping options below on the Order Checkout form in the Shipping Information section on the first line that says Choose Shipping Method.

Shipping Options

Country Option Schedule Cost
United States Standard 3-6 Days $4.95
United States Priority 2-4 Days $9.95
United States Free 7-10 Days $0.00
International FedEx International 4-7 Days $79.95*
International GlobalPost International 12-21 Days $39.95*
*International shipping costs may be higher depending upon package weight and destination. We will contact you for your approval of the additional amount if this occurs.

SupplementRelief.com may use the email or phone number provided on your Order to call or text you regarding Order Status or to inform you of changes to the Order Policy.

When your order ships we will send you a confirmation email with the delivery tracking information.

International Shipping

Shipping anything these days internationally is expensive. COVID resulted in more rigorous customs import processes, and now with much higher energy prices, international shipping rates are higher.

FedEx is the most reliable and faster carrier, at least for now, but they are expensive. Our FedEx international shipping fee is a minimum of $79.95. It usually makes more sense to get several months of supply (3 months or more) in one order to minimize the shipping expense per order over time. While the added weight of additional items may increase the base shipping price by a little (usually 10-25% depending upon total weight and destination), it is usually not by very much relative to shipping an additional small order later.

We also offer a lower-cost international shipping option using GlobalPost International for $39.95. So far, they have been reliable in getting packages correctly delivered but it takes 2 - 4 times as long to get the package delivered. Packages may take longer to process in the receiving country's customs process and status updates may not be reported as quickly. Please be patient if you choose this option to save money.

Some International orders may cost more to ship depending upon weight and location. If that happens we will contact you first and get your approval for any additional charge before proceeding. International orders may also be subject to additional customs fees and duties/taxes based upon the destination country's customs import laws and policies. These fees are NOT known or included on our order form and are typically charged and collected by the shipping carrier when they are delivering the product to it's final destination once the package has cleared the destination country's customs process. It is recommended that the buyer research custom import fees for the products/services they are importing beforehand to be aware of potential, additional fees.

Shipping Refrigerated Products

Our manufacturers formulate their probiotics to ensure their products retain viability until they reach the consumer. Probiotics that are recommended to be refrigerated remain so until the time of shipment, then shipped alongside an ice pack to ensure potency (Note: Ice pack will not arrive frozen, and product may not arrive cold). Orders placed on a Thursday-Sunday requiring cold shipping will not ship until the following Monday.

Cancellations

If your order has not been shipped yet, you can request a cancellation. Your original purchase amount will be refunded within three business days. If your order has already shipped, see Returns and Refunds.

Changes, Returns and Refunds

If you want to make a change to your order, please email us as soon as possible so we can make the change before your order ships. If your order has already shipped you may incur additional shipping charges for the second shipment and the return label for any products returned.

If we have made a mistake on your order, or the product arrives in a damaged or unusable condition, we will make every reasonable effort to right the situation quickly to your satisfaction.

We accept returns subject to when the return is requested and the condition the product is returned in. All returns must first be authorized by contacting us. In your request, please let us know why you are returning the item(s). We will respond promptly with authorization, the return address, and a return shipping label if appropriate.

If your order has already shipped you can return any un-opened products within 30 days of receiving your order for a 100% refund of the price paid for the product, less the actual shipping charges we incurred to get the product to you originally and then returned, less a $10 restocking fee. Un-opened means the protective seal on the bottle or container, or the shrink-wrap on the box or kit, has not been broken and the product has not otherwise been damaged in any way. You may use the original packaging for the return or acquire your own. We will provide the return shipping label. We DO NOT accept returns for NuMedica products once the protective product seal has been broken.

Upon receipt of returned product(s), we will refund your credit card within three business days for the product(s) returned.